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The physiological conditions of mussels from Ubatuba and Santos and also of organisms transplanted from Ubatuba to Santos were studied by using different techniques. Assays for lysosomal stability were conducted on the haemolymph. Heart rate activity was monitored for 6h. The embryonic development of larvae obtained from the collected mussels was analysed. For all the compared groups of mussels, no significant differences were observed for the cardiac activity monitoring and the embryonic bioassays. The mean Neutral Red (NR) retention time was similar for the animals from Santos and Ubatuba, whereas the organisms transplanted to Santos showed a reduction in the retention time of the dye, indicating damage in the lysosomal membranes. These differences were possibly due to environmental factors, but further investigations are required to confirm this hypothesis.

ResumoOs sistemas de disposição oceânica de esgotos domésticos, ou emissários submarinos, têm sido historicamente utilizados em todo o mundo como solução para destinação final de efluentes urbanos, principalmente devido aos aspectos econômi-cos. Porém, o descarte no oceano, seja em águas rasas ou mais profundas, pode induzir uma série de impactos ambientais negativos, dos quais se destacam a eutrofização, a floração de algas tóxicas, a introdução de microrganismos patogênicos e a contaminação por substâncias químicas capazes de produzir efeitos tóxicos sobre a biota e bioacumulação. Desse modo, o lançamento de esgoto não tratado no mar não constitui uma prática ambientalmente adequada, sendo necessário o tratamento dos efluentes de forma a remover nutrientes, contaminantes e organismos patogênicos e evitar a degradação ambiental. Palavras-chave:Esgotos. Emissário Submarino. Poluição. Saúde Pública. AbstractOceanic disposal systems of domestic sewage, or submarine sewage outfalls, have been historically used around the world as a solution for urban effluents, in special due to economic aspects. However, release into the ocean, in shallow or deep waters, may induce a set of negative environmental impacts, as eutrophication, toxic algal blooms, pathogenic microorganisms introduction and contamination by chemical substances which are capable of causing toxic effects to the biota and bioaccumulation. Thus, the release of untreated sewage into the sea does not constitute an adequate environmental practice; then, urban effluents should be treated in order to remove nutrients, contaminants and pathogenic organisms and avoid environmental degradation.

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